


A Meeting of Minds

by keilexandra



Category: Howl Series - Diana Wynne Jones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-19
Updated: 2007-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 04:25:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1631432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keilexandra/pseuds/keilexandra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Howl and Sophie are married.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Meeting of Minds

**Author's Note:**

> Written for cshaltar

 

 

One bright and early summer day, the sun smiled benignly upon Market Chipping. As Sophie arranged bouquets of freshly picked blooms for the flowershop, a thought occurred to her. "You know," she remarked, her words addressed in the general direction of the fireplace grating, "today was opening day just a year ago."

From the grating, a thin blue flame popped up and said cheerfully, "Oh yes, I remember. I was moved around the same time."

Sophie tied off a wrapping of slightly wilted daffodils--"Stay fresh," she said to them firmly--with shiny silver ribbon and replied, "Well, I was thinking. When Howl changed the doors, I thought Wizard Suliman's field of flowers was the loveliest surprise. It would be nice to hold our wedding there."

The blue flame flickered momentarily as Calcifer blinked. "Wedding?"

"Well, yes." Sophie glanced back at Calcifer and said, "I've lived here over a year, taking care of Howl and keeping house. It's indecent for an unmarried young woman to live with an unmarried young--well, an unmarried man."

Calcifer snorted a retracting tongue of vivid fire. "If you care about propriety, it's too late now."

Sophie's cheeks colored a pale pink like the chrysanthemum bouquet she was trimming. "Well! If -you- are so strongly against it, you needn't attend."

"You know I don't mean it," said Calcifer quickly. "Sophie, I'm only too happy to attend you and Howl's wedding."

"It's settled, then." Her head was high, her chin set in a familiar stubbornness. "I shall ask Howl tomorrow."

***

"A wedding? What for?" Howl yawned, stretching his lanky arms over his head.

Sophie glared at him. "It's what most people do when they love someone."

"Do I love you, Sophie?" Howl's voice was nonchalant, but his smile made her forget the biting retort she'd planned. He walked to the front of the shop where she stood, and cupped her face in his hands. Before all the early morning customers, Howl kissed Sophie long and tenderly full on the lips. She blushed and leaned into the kiss for a moment, at least until she remembered the gossipers eagerly watching.

"Ach, Howl!" Sophie carefully disengaged herself from his almost-embrace. "If you insist on doing that in public, we really must be married."

"If you want," said Howl lazily. "Anything for you, my sweet."

Sophie shot him another, more deadly glare. "What did you just call me?"

Howl raised his hands in mocking defeat as he wandered away. "Only my dear, sweet Sophie."

She hmphed and went back to arranging flowers, muttering, "I had better not be a coveted candy." The tulips and baby's breath arrangement refused to cooperate, preferring to fight her tranquil touch. At length Sophie scolded, "Be nice, or else I shall put you in Howl's room for a week."

On the other side of the shop, Howl overheard and let out a short laugh. "Such a dire threat to the poor tulips."

Sophie merely hmphed again, but she admitted silently to herself, later, that the particular flower arrangement had worked out quite well.

***

"Hello, Sophie!" Howl's sister Megan held out her hand to Sophie. They had visited often in the past year; each time, Megan welcomed her with a tiny bit more sincerity. An extra dash of sugar on her dessert, for example, or an unexpected invitation to stay longer. Or so Sophie hoped, if she wasn't simply imagining; she desperately sought Megan's approval, and she knew how much Howl wanted the two of them to get along.

"Megan, how are you?" Sophie replied warmly. "And please give my regards to Mari. She's coming back from school in a week, isn't she?"

Megan nodded. "Yes, Mari will be back soon. It's a pity Howl refuses to stay more than two days at a time," she said with a disapproving snort.

Sophie sighed wistfully. "I'll try to convince him to come back for a longer visit, after we get mar--" Too late, she remembered how noticeably silent Howl had been to Megan on that particular subject.

"After you get mar--what did you say, again?" said Megan, already turned half away toward the kitchen. "Don't tell me Howl's getting married."

"Er..." Sophie looked down and silently cursed herself roundly for leaving the lie to drag on so long. It was no use now. "Actually, yes."

Megan stopped mid-step and turned around slowly, an indescribable look on her face. "You mean to say, Howl's finally committing?" She released a peal of laughter that made Sophie jump. The tense mood between them disappated so quickly it seemed like a miracle. "It's about time! Who's the poor girl?"

"Er, me," Sophie mumbled.

Megan blinked. "Howl's marrying you? Good for him. You're sensible."

Now it was Sophie's turn to blink. "Ah... thank you."

At that moment, the back door swung open with a cheerful creak and Howl walked in whistling. "So what's for dinner, Megan?" he asked, oblivious to the situation.

Much to Sophie's secret joy, Megan shared with her a simultaneous rolling of the eyes. Even from two different worlds, it seemed that anyone could be annoyed by Howl's perfectly imperfect timing. Perhaps not usually a good thing, to roll one's eyes in resignation; but for Sophie, it was a fragile bond to be cherished.

***

Another bright and early summer day, Sophie and Howl were married in a quiet ceremony on an obscure little beach of Wales. Megan officiated, having procured a special one-time license for just this reason; she only snorted once, too. Mari acted as flower girl, clutching a bouquet of Sophie's freshest flowers. Afterward, Champagne was poured and duly toasted, along with all the usual pomp--which, for Sophie and Howl, meant escaping to their honeymoon suite at the earliest possible moment.

They fell onto the feather bed with a mutual murmur (or sigh, depending on how you heard it) of relief. Howl wrapped his arms around Sophie, cradling her from the back. She snuggled closer, met his lips with a tilt of her chin, and then the only good reason for their wedding was happily practiced for a time. 'Twas the duty of a married couple, after all; and if they enjoyed it rather more than society expected, all the better. Howl had never been one to conform.

So Howl and Sophie lived happily ever after, or at least until he called her a sweet again.

 


End file.
